Locks for egg carton covers

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to one-piece molded plastic egg cartons in which a cover is hingeably connected to a carton body, and side walls of the cover and carton body remote from the hinge means are provided with interlocking means for maintaining the cover in its closed position. The interlocking means are defined by posts which project above the terminal edge of the carton body and are interlockably received within recess means or openings of the carton side wall. The posts and covers are preferably constructed from flexible and reboundable material to permit temporary deformation incident to the opening and closing of the carton.

United States Patent Voorhis et al.

[ June 27, 1972 [54] LOCKS FOR EGG CARTON COVERS [72] Inventors: Harold W. Voorhis, Upper Nyack; Bradford Post, West Nyack, both of NY.

[73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc., New

3,531,039 9/1970 Bessett era] ..229/45 3,536,250 10/1970 Gaylor ..229/44R Primary Examiner-James B. Marbert Attorney-Diner, Brown, Ramik & Holt [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure relates to one-piece molded plastic egg cartons in which a cover is hingeably connected to a carton body, and side walls of the cover and carton body remote from the hinge means are provided with interlocking means for maintaining the cover in its closed position. The interlocking means are defined by posts which project above the terminal edge of the carton body and are interlockably received within recess means or openings of the carton side wall. The posts and covers are preferably constructed from flexible and rebounda- UNITED STATES PATENTS ble material to permit temporary deformation incident to the opening and closing of the carton.

3,217,963 11/1965 Alsman ..229/45 3,469,764 9/1969 Gaylor, Jr. ..229/44 R 4 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures ["3 I03 r 104 I I23 |2| I? us m I22 W1 I I n5 PLUENTEDJUNZ? I972 SHEET 4 [IF 4 NMD .A

a m QM LOCKS FOR EGG CARTON COVERS A primary object of this invention is to provide a carton including a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, a fold line connecting a side wall of the cover to a side wall of the body whereby the cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to the body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of the body and cover side walls to each other in the closed position, the securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of the other body side wall, recess means in the other cover side wall, and at least a portion of the post means being disposed within the recess means in the closed position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel carton of the type heretofore set forth wherein the post means portion includes a terminal edge spaced a predetermined maximum distance from the fold line as measured normal thereto, the recess means includes an edge spaced a predetermined maximum distance from the fold line as measured normal thereto, and the last-mentioned distance is less than the firstmentioned distance whereby the other cover side wall and/or the post means portion is temporarily deformed during a closing operation and inherently rebounds into the recess means during a closing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel carton of the type heretofore set forth wherein the post means portion is concavely or convexly curved projecting noses associated with each post means which may be bifurcated, and the recess means are apertures corresponding at least in part to the configuration of the noses.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel carton of the type heretofore set forth wherein longitudinally outermost ones of the post means immediately adjacent the end walls are longitudinally offset such that a major portion of each nose and its associated cover opening is offset relative to a vertical plane passing through the intersection of the first two of a plurality of article-receiving cells adjacent each of the end walls.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a novel carton constructed in accordance with this invention with a portion of a cover thereof removed for clarity, and illustrates a plurality of posts having sidewardly and outwardly directed locking noses received in slots of the carton cover.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the carton of FIG. 1 with a portion of the cover removed, and more clearly illustrates the construction of the posts and the manner in which the noses interlock with correspondingly contoured slots of the cover.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and more clearly illustrates the interlocking relationship between one of the posts and its associated cover slot.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the slots, and illustrates the generally inverted shallow U- shaped configuration thereof, including an upwardly directed tongue-like portion.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a modified slot, and illustrates the generally oval-configuration thereof absent a tongue-like portion shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a modified slot, and illustrates a tongue-like portion directed upwardly toward a horizontal edge of the slot.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of another carton constructed in accordance with this invention which is similar to the canon of FIGS. 1 through 3, and illustrates a plurality of posts having sidewardly and outwardly directed locking noses received in slots of the carton cover, with the posts and locking noses having major portions thereof offset with respect to vertical planes through transverse partitions of longitudinally adjacent article-receiving cells.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the carton of FIG. 7 with a portion of the cover removed, and more clearly illustrates the manner in which the locking noses and slots are offset with respect to the vertical planes of the transverse partition panels joining longitudinally adjacent article-receiving cells or cornpartments.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 9--9 of FIG. 8, and more clearly illustrates the interlocking relationship between one of the posts and its associated cover slot.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of another carton constructed in accordance with this invention with a portion of the cover thereof removed for clarity, and illustrates a plurality of posts each of which includes a bifurcated sidewardly and outwardly directed locking nose the legs of which are each received in an associated slot of the cover.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the carton of FIG. 10 with a portion of the cover removed for clarity, and more clearly illustrates the bifurcated construction of the posts, and the manner in which the legs of the bifurcated posts are received in correspondingly contoured slots of the cover.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 12-12 of FIG. 1 1, and more clearly illustrates the interlocked relationship between one of the posts and its associated cover slots.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one of the pair of slots, and more clearly illustrates the interrupted downwardly opening generally U-shaped configuration thereof.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of another carton constructed in accordance with this invention with a portion of a cover thereof removed for clarity, and illustrates a plurality of posts each of which includes an upwardly opening concave nose receivable within slots of the cover.

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the carton of FIG. 14 with a portion of the cover removed for clarity, and more clearly illustrates the particular configuration of the posts and the associated cover slots.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 16-16 of FIG. 15, and more clearly illustrates the interlocked relationship between one of the posts and its associated cover slot.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the cover, and illustrates more clearly the particular configuration of one of the four identical slots thereof.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of another cover similar to the cover of the carton of FIGS. 14 through 16, and illustrates a generally shallow U- shaped slot for receiving a correspondingly contoured locking nose of each of a plurality of the carton body posts.

Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings which illustrate a carton preferably constructed from a single piece of molded polystyrene or similar polymeric or copolymeric material, although the same may be constructed from molded paper pulp or other flexible and inherently reboundable material.

The carton 90 includes a canon body 91 having a pair of side walls 92, 93, a pair of end walls 94, 95 and a bottom wall generally designated by the reference numeral 96. The bottom wall 96 is formed by a plurality of individual compartment bottom walls 97 of a plurality of identical compartments 98 adapted to receive articles. The compartments 98 are separated from each other by an upstanding longitudinal partition 99 which runs the length of the carton body along its center line between the end walls 94, 95 and a plurality of upstanding transverse partitions 100 disposed between the lon gitudinal partition 99 and the adjacent side walls 92, 93. The carton body 91 includes an uppermost terminal edge 101 which extends along the uppermost edges of the end walls 94, 95 and the side wall 93. The terminal edge 101 terminates at opposite ends of a fold line 102 which extends substantially the entire length of the side wall 92 and serves to hingeably connect the carton body 91 to a cover 103.

The cover 103 is defined by a pair of side walls 104, 105, the latter of which is joined to the carton body side wall 92 by the fold line 102, a pair of end walls 106, 107 and a top wall 108 provided with a pair of longitudinally extending partitions 110, 110 which are in alignment with the longitudinal partition 99 of the carton body 91, as is clearly evident in FIG. 1.

The carton body 91 and the cover 103 include cooperative means, generally designated by the reference numeral 112 for maintaining the carton in its closed position. The interlocking means each include a generally upstanding post 1 13 formed as an integral extension of the side wall 93 projecting beyond the terminal edge 101 thereof. Each of the posts are partially cut away along each side, as indicated at 114, 115. The cut-outs 114, 115 are formed in upwardly converging walls 116, 117, respectively. The walls .116, 117 merge at a sidewise outwardly directed wall or nose 120 having a terminal edge 121. The wall 120 opens concavely downwardly and includes oppositely facing edges 122, 123.

Each of the interlocking means 112 is further defined by associated slots or recess means 124 (FIG. 4) formed in the side wall 104 of the cover 103. The slots 124 are of a generally shallow inverted U-shaped configuration having a tongue-like portion 125 which includes a convex edge 126 opposing a concave edge 127 of each of the slots 124.

Assuming that the carton 90 is in its open position and that articles have been placed in the compartments thereof, the cover 103 is hinged clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3, about the fold line 102 at which time a terminal edge 128 and its innermost surface 129 follows an are having a radius equal to the distance D4 which is a dimension measured from the fold line 102 to the innermost surface 129 of the side wall 104 adjacent the terminal edge 128. As the cover 103 descends and approaches the edges 121 of the posts 113, the noses 120 are temporarily deformed or deflected downwardly and the side wall 104, aswell as the tongues 125 thereof, is temporarily deflected outwardly until such time as each of the noses 120 passes the lower surface 126 of the openings 124. Thereafter the cover and the noses rebound to their normal positions and the interlocking is achieved in the manner clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Due to the lesser dimension D4 as compared to the dimension D3, the latter being measured from the fold line 104 to the terminal edge 121 of each of the noses 120, the noses 120 cam or deflect the cover 103 outwardly duringthe closing operation just described, and likewise because of the larger dimension D1 of the slots 124 as compared to the noses 121 between the faces 122, 123, interlocking does not occur until each nose passes beyond that portion of the cover beneath each of the openings 124.

Furthermore, though not specifically illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carton 90 may be specifically designed such that the tongue 125 of each of the slots 124 projects upwardly to such an extent that in the interlocked position the edge 126 contacts the under surface of each associated nose 124 to support the latter in the closed position of the carton 90, thus offering rigidity, support and reinforcement to each of the posts 113 and particularly the noses 120 thereof. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the cover may be provided with a tongue 125" projecting into a slot 126" of an inverted U-shaped configuration having straight side edges 127", 128" and a top straight edge 129'! ln further keeping with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the upwardly projecting tongue-like portions 125 may be eliminated, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 in which a portion of a cover 204 is shown. The cover 204 is identical to the cover 103 of the carton 90, except for the shape of an aperture or slot 205 which is generally of an oval-shaped configuration. When the cover 204 is interlocked with posts 113, the temporary deflection or deformation of the cover and/or posts 1 13 is identical to that heretofore described relative to the carton 90. However, as shown in FIG. 5, an upper surface 206 of a projecting nose 207 of a post 208 contacts and interlockingly engages with an upper downwardly concavely opening edge (unnumbered) of the slot 205.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 through 9 of the drawings in which is illustrated another carton which, due to its similarity to the carton of FIGS. 1 through 4, will be identified with like reference numerals which are primed.

The carton 90' likewise preferably consists of a single piece of molded polystyrene or similar polymeric or copolyrneric material which is relatively flexible and reboundable. The carton 90 includes a carton body 91' having a pair of side walls 92, 93', a pair of end walls 94', 95' and a bottom wall generally designated by the reference numeral 96'. The bottom wall 96 is formed by a plurality of individual compartment bottom walls 97' of a plurality of identical compartments 98' adapted to receive articles. The compartments 98' are separated from each other by an upstanding longitudinal partition 99' which runs the length of the canon body along its center line between the end walls 94, 95' and a plurality of upstanding transverse partitions 100' disposed between the longitudinal partition 99' and the adjacent side walls 92', 93'. The carton body 91' includes an uppermost terminal edge 101' which extends along the uppermost edges of the end walls 94', 95 and the side wall '93. The terminal edge 101' terminates at opposite ends of a fold line 102 which extends substantially the entire length of the side wall 92' and serves to hingeably connect the carton body 91 to a cover 103'.

The carton cover 103' is defined by a pair of side walls 104, 105, the latter of which is joined to the carton body side wall 92' by the fold line 102', a pair of end walls 106', 107' and a top wall 108' provided with a pair of longitudinally extending partitions 110', 110 which are in alignment with the longitudinal partition 99 of the carbon body 91', as is clearly evident in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

The carton body 91' and the cover 103 include cooperative means generally designated by the reference number 112' for maintaining the carton body in its closed position. Interlocking means each include a generally upstanding post 113' formed as an integral extension of the side wall 93 projecting beyond the terminal edge 101' thereof. Each of the posts is partially cut away along each side, as indicated at 114', 115'. The cut-outs 114', 115' are formed in upwardly converging walls 116', 117', respectively. The walls 116', 117 merge at a sidewise outwardly directed wall or nose 120' having a terminal edge 121'. The wall 120' opens concavely downwardly and includes oppositely facing edges 122', 123.

Each of the interlocking means 112' is further defined by associated slots or recess means 124' formed in the side wall 104' of the cover 103'. The slots 124' are of a generally shallow inverted U-shaped configuration having a tongue-like portion 125' which includes a convex edge 126' opposing a concave edge 127' of each of the slots 124'.

Since the opening and closing of the carton 90' is equivalent to that of the opening and closing of the carton 90, the description of the former will be dispensed with. However, the following comparison is to be noted between the carton 90 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and the carton 90' (FIGS. 7 and 8).

In the construction of the carton 90 a vertical plane passing through the transverse partition panels 100 passes directly through the middle of each of the posts 113 bisecting the associated noses 120, as well as the slots 124. That is, as is best illustrated in FIG. 2, the section line 3-3 lies in a plane of the transverse partition panels 100, 100 and the distance from this plane to each of the edges 122, 123 is identical, as is the distance from the plane to the ends of each of FIGS. slots 124. However, in the carton 90' of Figures 7 through 9 the leftmost and rightmost ones of the posts 113' are offset to the left and right, respectively, of a vertical plane through the transverse partition panels 100' which plane is identified by the section line 9-9. The leftmost and rightmost slots 124 are likewise offset respectively to the left and to the right of the associated vertical planes through the transverse partition panels 100. Thus, a major portion of the leftmost nose 120' and its associated slot 124' are disposed to the left of the vertical plane of the transverse partition panels while a major portion of the right-handmost nose 120' and its associated slot 124' are offset to the right of a similar plane taken through the transverse partition panels 100', 100' adjacent the end wall 951. In a like but reverse manner, the two medial noses 120' and their associated slots 124' are each offset in a direction toward the longitudinal center of the carton body 90', as is readily apparent from FIGS. 7 and 8.

Reference is now made to FIGS. through 13 of the drawings which illustrate a carton 130 constructed from a single piece of molded polystyrene or similar synthetic plastic material. The carton 130 includes a carton body 131 having a pair of side walls 132, 133, a pair of end walls 134, 135, and a bottom wall generally designated by the reference numeral 136. The bottom wall 136 is formed by a plurality of individual compartment bottom walls 137 of a plurality of identical compartments 138 adapted to receive eggs or similar frangible or nonfrangible articles. The compartments 138 are separated from each other by an upstanding longitudinal partition 139 which runs the length of the carton body along its center line between the end walls 134, 135, and a plurality of upstanding transverse partitions 140 disposed between the longitudinal partition 139 and the adjacent side walls 132, 133. The carton body 131 includes an uppermost terminal edge 141 which extends along the uppermost edges of the end walls 134, 135 and the side wall 133. The terminal edge 141 terminates at opposite ends of a fold line 142 which extends substantially the entire length of the side wall 132 and serves to hingeably connect the carton body 131 to a cover 143.

The carton cover 143 is defined by a pair of side walls 144, 145, the latter of which is joined to the carton body side wall 132 by the fold line 142, a pair of end walls 146, 147 and a top wall 148 provided with a pair of longitudinally extending partitions 150, 150 which are in alignment with the longitudinal partition 139 of the carton body 131.

The carton body 131 and the cover 143 include cooperative means, generally designated by the reference numeral 152 for maintaining the carton in its closed position. The interlocking means each include a generally upstanding post 153 formed as an integral extension of the side wall 133 projecting beyond the terminal edge 141 thereof. Each of the posts are partially cut away along each side, as indicated at 154, 155, and at a top thereof, as indicated at 156. The cut-outs 154 through 156 thereby define a pair of sideward and outward directed locking noses 157, 158 associated with each of the posts 153 with the noses 157, 158 terminating in terminal edges 159, 160, respectively. The upwardly converging walls (unnumbered) from which the cut-outs 154 through 156 are formed impart a generally downwardly opening concave configuration to each of the posts 153, as is best illustrated in FIG. 1 1 of the drawings. Each of the interlocking means 152 is further defined by an associated pair of slots 162, 163 in the side wall 144 of the cover 143 terminating short of a terminal edge 164,

and being separated from each other by a bridging portion 165 and a tongue 166. The slots 162, 163 thereby correspond generally to the slots 124 and 124' except for the bridging p0rtion 165, while the posts 153 correspond to the posts 113, 113' except for the cut-outs 156 which receive the bridging portions 165 in the locked position, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 1 l.

The carton 130 is opened and closed in the manner heretofore described relative to the cartons 90 and 90', and a further description thereof is considered unnecessary for a complete understanding of this invention, except that it should be noted that the noses 157, 158 and/or the tongues 166 and the adjacent portions of the cover beneath the slots 162, 165 are temporarily flexed by the camming operation heretofore noted during a closing operation, while the cover 144 must be grasped and drawn outwardly to effect opening of the carton 130.

Referring now to FIGS. -14 through 17 of the drawings, a carton 170 includes a carton body 171 having a pair of side walls 172, 173, a pair of end walls 174, 175, and a bottom wall generally designated by the reference numeral 176. The bottom wall 176 is formed by a plurality of individual compartment bottom walls 177 of a plurality of identical compartments 178 adapted to receive eggs or similar articles. The compartments 178 are separated from each other by an upstanding longitudinal partition 179 which runs the length of the carton body along its center line between the end walls 174, and a plurality of upstanding transverse partitions 180 disposed between the longitudinal partition 179 and the adjacent side walls 172, 173. The carton body 171 includes an uppermost terminal edge 181 which extends along the uppermost edges of the end walls 174, 175 and the side wall 173. The terminal edge 181 terminates at opposite ends of a fold line 182 which extends substantially the entire length of the side wall 172 and serves to hingeably connect the container body 171 to a cover 183.

The carton cover 183 is defined by a pair of side walls 184, 185, the latter of which is joined to the carton body side wall 172 by the fold line 182, a pair of end walls 186, 187 and a top wall 188 provided with a pair of longitudinally extending partitions 190, 190 which are in alignment with the longitudinal partition 179 of the carton body 171, as best shown in FIG. 14.

The carton body 171 and the cover 183 include cooperative means, generally designated by the reference numeral 192, for maintaining the carton in its closed position. The interlocking means each include a generally upstanding post 193 formed as an integral extension of the side wall 173 projecting beyond the terminal edge 181 thereof. Each of the posts is partially cut away along two sides, as indicated at 194, 195 to define an outwardly directed nose 196 terminating at an edge 197. As opposed to the nose 120 of each of the posts 1 13 or the noses 120' of the posts 113', each of the noses 196 opens in a concave direction upwardly away from the terminal edge 181 of the body 171. The side walls (unumbered) of each post 193 do, however, also converge upwardly toward each other away from the terminal edge 181, just as in the case of the posts 1 13.

Each of the interlocking means 192 is further defined by an associated slot 198 formed in the side wall 184 of the cover 183 spaced upwardly from the terminal edge 200 thereof. As best viewed in FIG. 17, each slot 198 includes an upwardly opening shallow concave edge 215, a pair of parallel side edges 216, 217, and an edge 218 parallel to the terminal edge 200. Although the edge 218 is shown as a straight line, it is to be understood that the latter may have a curvature corresponding to the edge 215 such that each of the slots 198 would be of a shallow U-shaped configuration identical to but inverted from that of the slots 124, as indicated by a slot 210 ofa cover 211 (FIG. 18).

Though illustrated only in the closed position, it is to be understood that the carton 170 is closed in identical manner as that heretofore described relative to the previously described cartons, and includes dimensions corresponding to the dimensions D1 through D4. More specifically, each of the noses 196 is temporarily cammed or deformed inwardly during the closing operation while the side wall 184 of the cover 183 is temporarily cammed or deformed outwardly until the noses 196 are in alignment with the openings 198 to achieve the interlocking relationship shown best in FIGS. 15 and 16.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall,

means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, and said recess means are slots arranged in at least a single pair diverging toward the terminal edge of said other cover side wall.

2. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, said slots are arranged in a plurality of pairs, each pair diverges toward the terminal edge of said other cover side wall, and each post means portion is a pair of spaced side walls received in each pair of slots.

3. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cove'r side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, and said post means portion is bifurcated.

4. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, said post means portion is bifurcated to define a pair of legs, and said recess means are a pair of openings each of which receives one of said legs. 

1. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, and said recess means are slots arranged in at least a single pair diverging toward the terminal edge of said other cover side wall.
 2. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, said slots are arranged in a plurality of pairs, each pair diverges toward the terminal edge of said other cover side wall, and each post means portion is a pair of spaced side walls received in each pair of slots.
 3. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, and said post means portion is bifurcated.
 4. A carton comprising a body defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, a cover defined by a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and a top wall, means hingeably connecting a side wall of said cover to a side wall of said body whereby said cover may be swung between open and closed positions relative to said body, and means for interlockingly securing the other of said body and cover side walls to each other in said closed position, said securing means being defined by post means projecting beyond a terminal edge of said other body side wall, recess means in said other cover side wall, at least a portion of said post means being disposed within said recess means in said closed position, said post means portion is bifurcated to define a pair of legs, and said recess means are a pair of openings each of which receives one of said legs. 